Trinity the last White Witch - Chapter 66

[Trinity’s POV]

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Dorothy asked for the hundredth time. “You said that the estate would be crawling with guards and spells. Are we ordinary mortals going to be alright?”

“Oh, shut your wining,” Nadia sneered. “As long as you don’t weigh us down with your nonsense, then we will be inside my room in no time.”

“Shut up, kid. Navigating this dark tunnel is already hard enough. I don’t need your unsolicited opinion,” Dorothy spat.

We were inside a tunnel that Nadia said would lead inside Roselake’s manor. Her late mother made it incased something unexpected happened, and no one knew about it but she and her mother. Not even the Earl knew of this secret tunnel.

“Have you gone out using this before?” I asked because it was important. If she did, then she might have encountered Grimora without her knowing. After all, noble girls love to explore the town alone or in disguise.

Nadia shook her head. “No. This place is suffocating and murky and dump, and I don’t want to go out alone. Who would carry my stuff when I buy things?”

“Then how do you know the way?” Dorothy asked the obvious.

Nadia batted an eyelid. “Because my mother made sure that I remember it. The question was, have I used this to go outside? The answer is no. but I did explore this place together with my mother to familiarize myself with the layout.”

“When did your mother die?” I asked.

Nadia took paused and placed a finger on her chin. “Hmm . . . probably when I was fifteen?”

“. . .” It was good that she was beginning to let her guard down around us.

“Oh, we’re close.” Nadia pointed to a dead-end, and Michael and Ric stopped just meters from it.

The two of them were awfully quiet for some reason.

Dorothy gulped. “A-are you sure it’s safe on the other side?”

“Who can say?” I shrugged.

“It leads to my study,” Nadia whispered. Her voice was hush, and colors were draining from her face fast. “Let’s just hope that beggar is sleeping in my room.”

I sensed a slight tremor in her voice, and I couldn’t blame her for being scared.

Rather, I looked over at Dorothy. Her teeth were rattling, and any moment she looked like she would wet herself.

Pathetic. I thought and threw her a side-eye. A sixteen-year-old was braver than she was.

Michael and I made eye contact while Ric placed his ear over the wall.

There was silence for a time, and none of us dared to breathe so loud.

“Well?” Dorothy squeaked.

Ric shook his head. “I hear no movement on the other side.”

Dorothy released the air she held. “That’s good, right?”

“Open it,” I ordered.

With shaking hands, Nadia searched for something on the wall, and not for long, the wall rattled and moved to the side.

Dorothy held my arm. I could hear the loud thump of her heart as the wall made soft noises.

I pulled my arm from her grasp and went ahead with Michael and Ric while Dorothy and Nadia walked behind us.

At the end of the secret tunnel was a room full of books with only a study table on the far end where the window was located.

This must be the room where Nadia took her private lessons. Boys and girls who didn’t debut in high society weren’t allowed to attend private schools in the capital. Until then, they were home-schooled with private tutors.

Nadia pointed at the only door on the wall. She was biting her lips, and her chin crumpled like she was going to cry.

She must be so scared at this point that she couldn’t even utter a word.

Michael signaled us to stand back, and Ric positioned and opened the door while the two girls clung to each side of my arms.

I sighed, raffling my fringe.

The door opened without a sound, and Ric went to check the dimly lit room on the other side. Michael soon followed before I pulled my arm from each of the girls’ holds and went into Nadia’s bedroom.

As soon as we were inside Nadia’s sleeping quarters, the lamps in the room lit. I didn’t have to glance at the bed to check if Grimora was in there or not, like what the others did.

My gaze was focused on the dresser in front of me, where a young girl was sitting with her arms on her lap while an alluring woman with dark green hair stood behind her on the other side of the mirror.

“I knew you would come again,” Vexana said with a smile. Her voice was deep and gruff, but it only added to her allure. “I’ve been waiting for you . . . Trinity the last white witch.”

“. . .”

“Heek.” Dorothy was startled, and she hid behind Michael while the two men drew their swords.

Vexana skimmed her lips with her long black nails. “You don’t seem surprised?”

“The truth is . . . I was also expecting you,” I answered and spotted at the corner of my eyes that Michael briefly looked my way.

“Oh?”

“You filthy witch and shameless beggar! Uncursed me right now!” Nadia hissed and jabbed a finger at Grimora while the latter’s eyes shook with tears.

“I-I’m sorry . . . ,” Grimora sobbed.

“Sorry?” Nadia stomped her foot, face red in anger. “I don’t need your sorry. Don’t you know I almost got killed because of you? You filthy shameless commoner!”

Vexana’s eyelid twitched, and she threw a sharp gaze at Nadia’s way while the latter automatically shut her mouth tight.

“Little girls shouldn’t butt in when the adults are talking.” Vexana’s obsidian eyes then gazed at us. “I supposed that you’re here to break my curse?”

I gave an elegant half-shrug. “Somewhat.”

“What do you mean somewhat?” Nadia asked with wide eyes. “Of course, we’re here to break the curse! You would get me back to my original body in exchange for my father’s favor. That was our deal!”

Vexana laughed out loud.

I briefly closed my eyes and took in an audible breath. “Have you not realized it yet?”

Every eye looked my way. Michael was confused while Ric frowned for the first time.

“The one who cursed you isn’t Grimora. It’s your father.”

—-

A/N